Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. W. ALLEN & A. B. POYNOR.

- OAR COUPLING.- No, 255,907. Patented Apr. 4,1882.

WITNESSES cw jj N. PETERS. Pholo-umo n mr. Washington, D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFIClEO JOHN W. ALLEN AND ASHLEY B. POYNOR, OFFRANKLIN, TENNESSEE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,907, dated April 4,1882.

Application filed January 3, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN WESLEY AL- LEN and AsnLEY BANKS POYNOR, ofFranklin, in the county of Williamson and State of Tennessee, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Gar-Couplings, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view, partly in section, of our improvement. Fig. 2is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is front elevation of one partof the same.

The object of this inven convenience and safety coupling cars.

Theinvention consistsinthecombination,with the spring-pressedcoupling-hook, of the cranklever pivoted to the end of the car, andhaving its upper end extending to the said lever and passing down to thesides of the car; also, in the combination, with the spring-pressedcoupling-hook and crank-lever having its up-' per end extending over thetop of the car, of the notched catch-bar pivoted to the top of the car,the spring I, and rope J, as hereinafter described and claimed.

A represents the draw-bar of a car, which is designed to be connectedwith the car-frame in the ordinary manner. The draw-bar A is recessed toreceive the shank of the couplinghook B, which is pivoted to the saiddraw-bar A by a bolt, 0. The forward or book end of tion is to promotein coupling and unthe coupling-hook B projects so far that it willengage readily the coupling-hook of an adjacent car. The forward ends ofthe hooks B are beveled upon their forward or inner sides, so that theywill slide past and engage with each other automatically as two cars arerun together, and are also beveled upon their lower sides, so that theywill readily slide upon the draw-bars A. The coupling-hooks B are heldforward to cause them to engage with each other by spiral or othershaped springs D, attached to the draw-bars A and pressing against thesaid hooks B, as shown in Fig. 1. The hooks B are kept from being forcedfor- Ward any farther than into line with the length of the cars bystops E, formed upon or attached to the draw-bars A. The couplinghooks Bare forced back to uncouple the cars by levers F, which may be made inthe form of a crank, as shown in the right-hand part of Figs. 1 and 2,or in the form of a straight lever, as shown in the left-hand part ofFig. 2 and in Fig. 3. Inthe former case the lever F is pivoted to theforward end of the car with its lower arm resting against the forwardside of the hook B and its upper arm projecting over the top of the saidcar. In the latter case the lever F is pivoted to the forward end of thecar with its lower end resting against the forward side of the hook Band its upper end projecting above the top of the car, so that the hooksB can be forced back to uncouple the cars by operating either of thelevers F from the top of the car. By attaching acord, G, to the upperend of the lever F and passing it through guide staples or eyes attachedto the edge of the car-top or around guidepulleys pivoted to the saidtop the said levers can be operated from the side of the car.

H is a catch-bar, one end of which is pivoted to the top of that thenotch or shoulder formed in the said bar near its other end will engagewith the end of the lever F when holding the hook B back to lock thesaid lever and hook in place, so that the cars can be drawn apart.

The catch-bar H is pressed forward by a spring, I, attached to thecar-top, and which bears against the rear side of the said catchbar H.To the free end of the catch-bar H is attached the end of a cord, J,which passes through a guide-eye or around a guide-pulley attached tothe edge of the car-top, so that the said catch-bar can be drawn back torelease the lever F and hook B by J from the side of the car.

The coupling-hooks of small wheeled cars can be made with an upward bendor offset to adapt them to couple with ordinary cars.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new an desire tosecure by Letters Patent-- a 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, withthe spring-pressed coupling-hooks B, of the lever F, pivoted to the endof the car and having its upper end extending over the top of operatingthe cord the car, and the rope G, secured to the said le- I, and therope J, substantially as and for the vet and passing down to the sidesof thg ear, purpose set forth. substantially as and for the purpose set,ort-h.

2. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the spring-pressedcoupling-hook B and the crank-lever F, havingits upper end extendingWitnesses: over the top of the car, of the notched oatch- J. P. HELMs,bar H, pivoted to the top of the car, the spring GUs H. SMITHsoN.

